We never would have imagined it, or perhaps we did, because in a world that’s always in a rush, the fear of losing memories of moments that moved and entertained us grows stronger. And here comes Snapchat with Memories, the feature that lets you save photos and videos.

The news surprises everyone, but it’s a welcome change! While the unique feature of Snapchat was that shared content would disappear after 24 hours, the app is now shifting its approach. It’s being enhanced with a private archive where you can collect and share the snaps you don’t want to forget.

Many may wonder what’s different from the current option to save snaps on your device. With Memories, you can save space and access your photos anywhere you log in to your Snapchat account. It’s essentially an online library, where snaps are backed up on the app’s servers and organized into categories based on location or keywords, just like a search engine.

All you have to do is press and hold on a snap, click on “My Snap” at the top of the screen, then select “Create Story from This Snap,” and optionally include other content you want to add to the story. Of course, you can choose to make your stories private, and thus invisible to others, by setting a password.

Snapchat has always been distinguished by the ability to share content instantly as it’s captured. With Memories, it decides to evolve:users can now choose to import photos and videos from their device. This option is sure to appeal to many! These changes are surprising, especially given the statements from the app’s founder, Evan Spiegel: “We no longer need to capture the real world and recreate it online. We simply live and communicate at the same time.”

The decision to introduce this new feature, according to some, comes from a desire to expand its target audience. Snapchat has always had a user base of 13-24-year-olds, but with Memories, it aims to reach older age groups, especially with the recent surge of users over 35.

The idea behind the new feature is clearly to allow users to relive their past moments wherever they are: whether to show snaps to friends or simply browse through memories that evoke fun and pleasant emotions.

The new feature is already available. If you haven’t done so yet, download the latest version of Snapchat for iOS or Android, and discover a truly fun world!